SEE YOU AT THE TOP

by Zig Ziglar

  You immediately sit straight up in bed, clap your hands, and say, “Oh boy, it’s a great day to get out and take advantage of the opportunities the world has to offer.”

  Now, I want you to see the picture before you continue. You’re sitting on the side of the bed, two-thirds asleep with hair in your face. Not only that, but you’re slapping your hands like a nine-year-old child saying, “Oh boy, it’s a great day to get out and face the world.” If you live to be a hundred, you’ll never tell a bigger one than that or feel any more foolish. But let me emphasize something important. You’re up, and that’s where you wanted to be when you set the clock the night before. More importantly, you just took a big step to control your attitude.

  I emphasize this with the full realization that this book will be read (already has been) by millions of successful men and women of all ages and from every walk of life. I’m fully aware that some of you will think this is a little juvenile. If that is the way you feel, then I especially urge you to give it an honest try because your need is great. After all, you have nothing to lose—and a lot to gain.

  Please understand that you started tomorrow morning last night when you set your “opportunity clock” to awaken you. At that point you made the decision: “Tomorrow morning at this time I’m going to get up.”

  When the opportunity clock sounds off the next morning, you don’t make a new decision. You simply live with the one you made the night before.

  The night before you also decided how you would get up, so at the first sound of that opportunity clock, you either get up out of bed, griping and complaining, or you get up with excitement and gratitude. One starts the day positively, the other negatively. Make the right choice the night before and then follow through the next morning.

  As an aside, if your mate is sound asleep or the children are small and you don’t want to awaken them, I encourage you to simply roll over when the opportunity clock sounds, sit up on the side of the bed, and give a silent cheer, one where you just ball up your fists and pantomime a good, healthy “Rah!” Then, instead of clapping your hands so that they meet, make the clapping motion but stop them from slapping together. If you think the other routine makes you feel foolish, try this one! You will be unable to refrain from laughing at yourself—which is a very healthy thing to do!

  Incidentally, it’s super good if you have a big mirror close to the bed so you can see how totally ridiculous you look. It’s a one-act comedy in full color and no normal human being can view this scene without being amused and perhaps breaking into laughter. It’s ridiculous and absurd, and that’s what makes it exciting. You’re now laughing at yourself and as long as you’re doing this, you have no real problems that can’t be solved. It’s the person who can’t laugh at himself that can’t tolerate someone else laughing at him. It’s a sign of emotional maturity and stability to be able to laugh at yourself. It works even better if husband and wife “get up” together, because now you have a double comedy. As a couple you end up laughing with each other rather than at each other. This immediately makes life more fun and strengthens the relationship.

  When you start the day with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm you’re on target, according to the Bible. Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day which the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.” I wish I had the space to share with you the number of phone calls and letters I’ve gotten from husbands and wives who say, “You know, because of this we did start laughing together again, and it not only helped our marriage but it brought benefits to many other areas of our lives.”

  SING IN THE SHOWER

  Now that you’re up, take a shower and, if there are no small children asleep, sing a loud, cheerful song. Now, don’t give me this old jazz about, “Yeah, but I can’t sing.” Listen, I once got a letter from Mitch Miller asking me not to even bother to “sing along with” him, and my own children ask me not to sing in church. Neither the tune nor your talent for singing are important. The idea is the thing. The concept of singing in the shower is simple.

  You can’t be negative at the top of your voice. William James said, “We do not sing because we are happy. We are happy because we sing.” (Besides, it’s your “bath right.”) Along the same lines, “We do not stop working and playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop working and playing.”

  For the man of the house there are some extra benefits if you take one more step. When you walk into the breakfast room, slap the table a couple of times and say, “Honey, I see you’ve cooked bacon, eggs, and grits for breakfast. That’s what I was hoping you were going to prepare.” Even if you’ve had the same meal every day for the past 622 days, an interesting thing takes place. First of all, she looks at you in shocked surprise and the shock value alone is worth a great deal. Chances are, even if the breakfast isn’t really that good, she’ll be motivated to do better the next day. This means you can’t lose. (Incidentally, this procedure works even better if the husband cooks the breakfast.)

  Now let me explain what this procedure accomplishes. Since thought precedes action, you plan the action at night in order to execute it the next morning. This sets up a habit of planning positively, and it has far-reaching results because, “When you sow an action, you reap a habit; when you sow a habit, you reap a character; and when you sow a character, you reap a destiny.” The reason is simple. Logic will not change an emotion (like being negative), but action will. Or, as my good friend Bruce Norman, Principal of Magnet High School for Health Professions in Dallas, Texas, likes to say, “You can’t ‘feel’ your way into a new way of acting, but you can ‘act’ your way into a new way of feeling.”

  The end results of these actions will be a greater, more vibrant enthusiasm, and history conclusively proves that your destiny is greater with the attitude of enthusiasm. When you get up with enthusiasm and go to breakfast with enthusiasm, you’re beginning to set the stage for a good day. A day is a miniature lifetime, and with lots of good days you have a good life. This also benefits family and friends because enthusiasm is more contagious than the measles. Once you have it, it will spread to your family and associates and everybody benefits.

  These actions also have an additional benefit because they provide an effective frontal assault on one of man’s greatest stumbling blocks in the climb to the top of the stairway, namely, procrastination. If procrastination is one of your problems, these simple procedures could well be the starting place for overcoming that problem. This will become even more evident when we get into the section on habits. For the moment, it should be obvious that before you can go anywhere you must first get started. It should be just as obvious that how you get up in the morning will play a big part in how high you go up in life.

  At this point I’ll just observe that this getting up in the morning procedure is a “good” habit and every good habit has to be “grabbed” and held onto for dear life. An encouraging note, however, is the fact that from the beginning, maybe even from the first day, you will receive some “interesting” benefits and in just 21 consecutive days the changes will be dramatic.

  STEP TWO— ESTABLISH SOME SYMBOLS

  In America today we live in an essentially negative society. For example, the tens of thousands of appliances that hang on street corners in every town, city, and crossroads around the country are referred to as “red,” “stop,” or “traffic” lights. This is obviously negative, because in reality the lights are “go” lights. If you don’t believe this, just watch what happens any time one of the lights is not working. Traffic will back up for several blocks. It isn’t because a “red,” “stop,” or “traffic” light has been cut off, but because a “go” light is out of order. Why then do people call them “stop” lights? It’s simple. They are SNIOPS. They hear others refer to the “red” lights, so they follow suit.

  The unfortunate fact about this is the average American spends something like 27 hours every year in front of these “go” lights waiting on the right color, so they can “go.” Ho
w do most people spend the 27 hours? Generally speaking, they do three things. First, they get a firm grip on the steering wheel to make absolutely certain the car doesn’t run off with them. Second, they firm their lips and tighten their mouths in such a way that they can talk to the “go” light if need be. Third, and most importantly, they sit in their automobiles pressing their foot on the accelerator. They apparently feel if they race their engines the light will change faster. Do you plead guilty to doing this? Chances are strong that you are guilty without realizing it. If you are—and if you thought it was silly to start the day by slapping your hands—what do you think about racing your car engine to change a light?

  PERSONALIZE IT

  Let’s think this through together. Instead of using that procedure while waiting at the light, give it an entirely different treatment. Two things can be done constructively. First, as you sit there waiting for the right color, you want to personalize the light. Look at it and say, “That’s mine. It was put there for me. It has my name on it. It was put there so I can go farther, faster, more easily, and more safely to my destination.” You see, in reality, it is a “go light.” Second, then you’re involved in such a way that you can talk about the “go” light. Here’s where the fun begins. I challenge you, whoever you are, whatever you do, and wherever you might be, to use the term “go light” in a conversation and maintain a straight face. I just don’t believe you can do it. The very instant you say “go light,” two things will happen. First of all, you will break out in a big smile and the person with you will also smile. Secondly, the instant you say the words “go light,” you will smile in spite of yourself and your attitude will start to change. You will come back to the pages of this book and recognize the practicality of what I’m saying. As you look at the positive aspects of life, one word or action will precipitate a series of positive thoughts, which are the forerunners of positive actions, which produce positive results.

  GO LIGHTS, STRONG ENDS, AND WARMS

  I have a close friend in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Really, he’s more like a brother than a friend. His name is Bernie Lofchick and he is easily the most positive man I have ever met. He is so positive that not once has he ever had a cold, although he will admit he occasionally does have a “warm.” He is so positive he never refers to the “weekend” because that’s negative. He calls it the “strong end.” As you read these words, you might well think, “Is all of that really necessary?” I say, “No, you can be mediocre without those little things.” But I hope I’m talking to the “you” who has already testified that you want to get more out of life.

  Chances are good that when I said you could be mediocre without these little things, you probably thought to yourself, “Mediocre! What’s Zig talking about? I’m a college graduate! I’m worth over ten million dollars,” or “I was number one in sales for the last three years,” or “I’m the president of my own company!” Well, bully for you! I still say “mediocre,” because success is not measured by what you do compared to what others do. Success is measured by what you do compared to what you could have done with the ability God has given you. A major objective of See You at the Top is to help you recognize, develop, and use your abilities to the maximum. Since you have come this far in See You at the Top you have clearly indicated that I’m talking to you and that you really do want more out of life. Again, I want to emphasize it’s not the big things that make the difference, it’s the little things.

  When you start adding things like “go lights,” “warms,” and “strong ends” to your conversations and your life, a dramatic change will occur. You’ll enjoy life more and have more fun, which means you will be happier and healthier because this procedure will bring a smile to your face and laughter to your heart. This is verified in the book of Proverbs, “A merry heart has a continual feast.” With this approach to life, the third step toward controlling your attitude becomes easy and simple.

  STEP THREE— SET YOUR GYROSCOPE FOR SUCCESS

  Many years ago, an episode on “Candid Camera” made an indelible impression on my mind. A movie star was stationed in the hallway of an office building. She had a large, heavy suitcase with her and was looking for someone to carry it into an office a short distance down the corridor. Each time a man appeared, she would ask for help. In each instance, the response was favorable. As he lifted the suitcase and started down the hallway with the movie star, they would engage in small talk. The movie star would show him which office was hers, but when the man attempted to carry the suitcase into the office he would find it a difficult task. He could go into the office himself but the gyroscope inside the suitcase was set to go straight ahead and it strongly resisted turning from its set direction.

  Inside of every creature on the face of the earth there is a gyroscope which comes as standard equipment at birth. Take a young squirrel located a thousand miles from any other squirrel. When cold weather approaches he will store nuts for the winter, although he might never have lived through a winter. This is the law of self-preservation. It is his built-in gyroscope. Likewise, a young duck who has never lived through a winter will fly south even if he is totally isolated from all other ducks. The law of self-preservation demands it. That is his built-in gyroscope.

  Man, too, has a gyroscope, but with a difference. The difference is man can set his own gyroscope. Go to a lake or the seashore and look at the sailing boats. You’ll notice they will be going in 360 directions, and you’ll notice that the wind is blowing in only one direction. How can the boats be going in so many different directions? The answer is simple. There is a human being on the boat who has set the sail. It’s the set of the sail that determines the direction of the boat. It’s the way you set your sail (gyroscope) that’s going to determine the direction you will go—and direction determines destiny.

  MINOR ADJUSTMENT FOR MAJOR SUCCESS

  Remember the cookware salesman I mentioned in an earlier chapter? Every day he set his gyroscope. As a matter of fact, he set the gyroscope several times during the course of each day. This was necessary for his success and it is for yours, too. As I indicated earlier, there are going to be numerous diversions and occurrences over which you have no control. You can’t predict with certainty what things stand between you and your destination. I would emphasize, however, when something throws you slightly off course, it isn’t necessary for you to go all the way back to your original departure point. You simply make a slight adjustment and continue on toward your goal. Remember, go as far as you can see, and when you get there you will always be able to see further.

  How can you set your gyroscope? I’ll answer that question momentarily, but let me first ask a question. When you’re involved in a lengthy telephone conversation, are you guilty of doodling? Do you draw squares, rectangles, and circles? If the conversation is quite lengthy, do you start the shading process and add designs within the shading? How do you rate yourself as a doodler? As you might know, some advanced doodlers leave the doodles around hoping they will “be discovered.” What is the highest price you’ve ever received for a doodle?

  During all my years of working with many, many people, I’ve never met anybody who has sold a doodle. With this in mind, I’m of the firm opinion that the doodle market is limited. Instead of doodling, which is non-profitable, take a clean sheet of paper and start writing, “I can, I can, I can . . . .” Then spell out specifically what you can do. Write your objective over and over on a sheet of paper and on your bathroom mirror. Then at the bottom of your sheet of paper or mirror, write “I will, I will, I will . . . .” This process will “set your gyroscope” by burning your objectives indelibly into your subconscious mind.

  For many people, See You at the Top has been the road map to greater accomplishment and this simple formula has been the catalyst that started them. It could well be the catalyst you seek but I must warn you, there is a certain danger involved in following the formula. When you buy the ideas, adopt the attitude, and follow the procedures I recommend, you’ll b
e so different you’ll be one of the few people in the game of life who will be able to open life’s vault of valuables and get what you want instead of having to want what you have. For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t be overly concerned about the critics. Since the beginning of recorded history, no one has erected a statue to a critic. So, they must not be held in too much esteem.

  Some people will laugh at you, but let me emphasize a point. It will be the little world and the little people who are missing the good things in life and you who will be doing the laughing. It should be quite satisfying to know that the little world laughed but the big world was tuned in when Alexander Graham Bell made his historic telephone call. The little world laughed, but the big world was at Kitty Hawk when the Wright Brothers made that historic first flight. The little world might well laugh as you start your journey, but I assure you the big world will be gathered at the finish line cheering you across. Best of all, what you get by reaching your destination isn’t nearly as important as what you become by reaching that destination.

  CHAPTER 16

  Step Four— Feed Your Mind

  The first three steps of the formula to control your attitude are extremely simple. To review the formula: Step 1—Get up in the morning with enthusiastic hand-clapping; Step 2—Adopt the symbols, “Go Lights,” “Warms,” and “Strong Ends”; Step 3—Set your gyroscope with positive “I Cans.”

  Step Four is more involved so I’m devoting this entire chapter to it. I assure you the subject matter deserves every line of space.

  PHYSICALLY HUNGRY—EAT

  Question, please! Did you eat anything last month? What about last week? Yesterday? Today? Chances are you are quite puzzled by these questions. Of course you ate last month, last week, yesterday, and today. Do you plan to eat tomorrow? If you do, does that mean what you ate today was no good? Absolutely not. It simply means what you ate today is for today. The average person in America not only eats every day but, generally speaking, he eats his meals on schedule. I’ve observed if a person gets busy and misses a meal, he generally tells anyone who will listen, “You know what? I was so busy yesterday I didn’t have time to eat lunch.” Then he repeats it to make certain his listener got the message. To him, it’s a big deal to miss a meal and he wants others to be aware of his “sacrifice.”